Questions tagged [equity]
The equity tag has no usage guidance.
50
questions
9
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Only 10% of the shares for employees
I am in negotiations with a startup to join them as the 5th employee. The current offer includes 0.3% of the shares, which I thought it was low. When I sent them my counter offer asking for more, they ...
- 207
1
vote
2
answers
523
views
Is it common to value startup equity on future expected valuations?
Disclaimer: The numbers are made up, but reflect the real proportions.
I was offered a job at a startup, which just closed a financing round with $10M valuation and has 10M outstanding shares. The ...
- 19
-1
votes
2
answers
630
views
How to ask to be paid same salary for same job title
I know this is an audacious first question, I hope someone(s) will be willing to help.
I need to write a letter to my supervisor to this effect:
I want to be paid equally.
For many years now I have ...
- 19
8
votes
8
answers
3k
views
What is the share ratio of most tech founders in the first few years? [closed]
I have been working on a big web app/mobile app for students in my country. It's a project that should take me 6-8 month as a solo developer (full stack Next.js)
Right now, I'm focused 100% on ...
- 213
0
votes
4
answers
434
views
Bonus agreement vs shares
I am in negotiations with a company about a full-time job.
Instead of 10% shares however, they are proposing a bonus agreement where I would get dividends and if the company is sold, a bonus equal to ...
- 127
0
votes
4
answers
314
views
Job offer with equity from a startup - what to look for?
I'm in talks with a startup founder about a job, pretty much a CTO role. At the moment it's only 3 people there, I would be the 4th one. It's all running off the founder's pocket now, he says he's got ...
- 455
-1
votes
3
answers
393
views
How to avoid share dilution when you negotiate the contract
I am about to join a project as a CTO role and the two people who started this project are willing to give me some company shares besides cash payment.
How do I negotiate the contract to avoid share ...
- 107
-2
votes
2
answers
351
views
What is the best way to participate in a startup idea? [closed]
Recently I got a proposal to be part of a startup idea, as the head of development team. I was offered three ways of being a participant:
1- To be a shareholder.
2- To get paid with a fixed salary.
3-...
- 113
0
votes
3
answers
452
views
What is an appropriate compensation structure for freelancing for an early-stage startup?
I was approached by a startup to do some work developing their product. They do not have revenue or funding yet and offered to pay a “market” salary for a contract period that would be 100% deferred ...
- 21
-5
votes
5
answers
530
views
Should I give equity to employees in order to motivate them to work more
I'm very interested to ask you what do you think about giving company equity or stock to employees. In my view this should make them much more motivated to work.
Have you see this practice to lead to ...
- 105
0
votes
1
answer
608
views
How do I raise the issue of potential salary discrimination with my supervisor?
I am an Operations Manager for a small non-profit in Washington DC. Outside of the president, we have 5 employees. During the hiring process in late 2019, I attempted to negotiate an increase in ...
- 19
40
votes
5
answers
9k
views
Is refusing offered stock options an option?
The company I'm working for (for some time already) offered me and other colleagues employee stock options. They're presenting it as such a great "gift" to us and almost that we should be grateful for ...
- 417
3
votes
3
answers
830
views
How do I approach founders about salary inequality in a startup?
To add a little context, I joined a startup as a fullstack developer in late 2017, making me the fourth member of a team of two founders working sales, and me and a colleague doing the actual ...
- 155
0
votes
1
answer
437
views
Signed options letter was for wrong % of ownership
I own 10% of the company I helped co-found. After a round of funding last year, I was given and signed an options letter to adjust my number of options to maintain my 10% equity. However, unbeknownst ...
- 93
3
votes
2
answers
780
views
How much equity do I deserve as the sole developer?
I apologize for the length of the post. The last two paragraphs are a more brief summary.
I began working with this company a year ago with the assignment of handling general office tasks. Very ...
- 41
-2
votes
4
answers
372
views
Joining a startup company at seed funding stage [closed]
A startup company wants me on board as a core software engineer, at a very early stage (Seed funding stage) – there are currently 8 people in the company (Three co-founders included).
They offer me ...
- 107
3
votes
6
answers
415
views
What would be a fair split of ownership for a new service I and another company created [closed]
I am currently working at an online marketing company as a software developer. A few months ago I started my own software company (sole proprietorship, eenmanszaak in Dutch). I am still studying and ...
- 149
4
votes
2
answers
1k
views
If a company is in debt, do employees with equity have any financial obligation?
If I choose to work for salary + equity, and the company loses and/or is in debt, am I obligated to pay a part of the company debts?
Is it common in the startup world?
- 49
30
votes
6
answers
6k
views
How to politely refuse a startup's equity? [closed]
Hypothetical situation:
I received an attractive job offer from a startup, which includes a salary of x and equity that the startup values (let's say fairly) at y. y is a non-trivial sum; x+y is a ...
- 1,821
8
votes
4
answers
1k
views
My business partner does not want to participate on the business activities, how should I proceed?
I have started a business together with another partner as an equal in terms of earning and effort. There's no written contract, just a gentlemen's agreement. We are an IT software company, so we don'...
- 115
2
votes
2
answers
860
views
Former employee who thinks they were wronged is threatening me [closed]
I hired this lady to help me start with a project in Indonesia 2 years ago. I paid her what she asked and mentioned some profit/revenue sharing schema as a bonus if things work out. She was first ...
- 177
-1
votes
2
answers
4k
views
How to ask my boss for shares in company?
My friends and I have been working in a startup for over 1 year. They have spent more time in this company and have already completed 2 years of work.
During this time, we participate in a project ...
- 525
3
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Can I ask to be paid in equity?
Say I have a job offer from a company. They say they'll pay me X dollars a month. Can I negotiate to be paid fewer dollars but instead some equity? Is it appropriate to even ask?
Does the answer to ...
- 2,819
0
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Ended up with (almost) worthless equity, what to do?
I signed with a company which at that time was private, and I got stock options as part of my comp, which vest over the next four years. In the time between my signing and my starting date, the ...
- 23
1
vote
3
answers
273
views
Pay raises while having stock options [duplicate]
Say you're an early employee at a startup, and have been granted stock options (representing under 1% of equity). How should you approach the topic of pay raises?
Should you just ask for a small bump,...
- 13
-2
votes
1
answer
300
views
Equity vs stock options (startup) [closed]
Is there any significant disadvantage receiving stock options vs.
shares in a new startup?
What could be the excuses for not giving shares but stock options and
would it be reasonable to insist on ...
- 103
2
votes
4
answers
801
views
How to evaluate a C-level job offer at a young startup [closed]
Have just been given an offer at a young startup (~3 yrs, 1 other employee [the CEO] and 2 contractors) for a CTO position. Offer is all-equity with a roadmap in place for salary after revenue goals ...
4
votes
3
answers
664
views
As longest employee the stock grants offered does not reflect tenure as my boss had promised
I have worked for my employer for 7 years and have stuck with the company transitions and tough times when everyone else has left. My boss has said to me many times I would be receiving stock grants ...
-3
votes
3
answers
1k
views
When a company is sold-- do royalty holders get anything? [closed]
I am one of 3 founders of a very small startup company. We want to make rule that says, even if a founding partner leaves, they can still receive a 3% royalty from the company in perpetuity.
Here's ...
- 227
3
votes
4
answers
761
views
How big of a share in a startup should I ask for/expect?
I've been asked if I'm interested in working as the lead developer at a startup e-commerce site. I am very interested and very confident in mine and the startup's ability to succeed.
But I have no ...
- 179
4
votes
3
answers
641
views
Asking For Equity 2 Years Later
I started working at a startup almost 2 years ago. I was brought on part-time. During negotiations I opted for a higher hourly rate as I needed the money and the management structure was questionable (...
- 179
11
votes
6
answers
2k
views
Collaborator witholding code before deadline
A long friendship has ended, and I am looking for an objective, collective third party opinion on this matter.
Summary: five days before a critical deadline, a collaborator has, with no warning, ...
- 372
0
votes
1
answer
250
views
Options vs Equity vs Percentage
I received today an job offer via email for a role with a package including "Equity/options/%" as below:
I am very pleased to present the offer from company xxx!
$xxx + Super
12-month retention ...
- 111
1
vote
5
answers
928
views
Can I short a company stock when I intend to accept a job offer? [closed]
Let's say I have a job offer from a public company where a significant part of my compensation is in stock. I like the company and the position but I'm concerned that their stock is overvalued. Now, I'...
- 127
20
votes
9
answers
8k
views
How much equity compensation can I expect from a preseed startup? [closed]
I am a software engineer with more than 6 years of experience and currently finishing my degree at UC Berkeley. I joined the team as a full stack and data science engineer. There are four other guys ...
- 351
3
votes
2
answers
288
views
Job title not matching the job activity
I have recently landed my first professional job as an contract equity research analyst at a small firm through a friend. Generally speaking, such role requires one to have completed at least a ...
- 175
4
votes
5
answers
2k
views
How to politely ask to trade stock option in job offer for something else?
I've read some related questions but:
This is just a good explanation (doesn't answer my question).
What's an employee stock option scheme?
This question is from a startup perspective (not ...
- 1,608
-4
votes
1
answer
251
views
Offered Equity in Company, Amount Open to Negotiation [closed]
I work for a small 6 person IT/WebDev company with 2 owners (with a 30/70 split). The company started about 10 years ago with just one member. The WebDev side has dwindled down to just me as of 6 ...
- 311
24
votes
8
answers
9k
views
Would buying company shares increase my career possibilities within that company?
A company sent employees a letter offering to buy company shares. It is not clear if the amounts offered would allow voting rights with the company. I am not interested in buying shares from the ...
- 4,499
0
votes
1
answer
435
views
My offer letter entitled me to 2.5% interest in the company after 2 years. Its been 2 years and nothing [closed]
My offer letter states I am entitled to the 2.5% interest in the company after completing 2 years. I've done that and so far just getting the brush off. What can I do? or should do?
- 133
3
votes
4
answers
613
views
How to estimate the value of a startup equity when negotiating a contract
The startup offer, as listed on the website, suggests a fork of values for both salary and equity. Let's say, for the sake of clarity, the values are 90k-130k$ and 0.25-2% equity.
I need to ...
- 1,093
6
votes
1
answer
791
views
Job offer at hedge fund requires investment [closed]
My relative has been offered a position and I want to get more info to see if it’s legit.
A school advisor connected him with former employees of large international bank, who started their own ...
- 71
0
votes
5
answers
893
views
Does 'Provides equity' mean they are going to pay you? [closed]
I recently applied for a job that in the Posting said 60,000 - 90,000 (Provides equity). I have Gotten past the first two interviews and am heading for my third this Friday. During the interview ...
- 387
28
votes
5
answers
9k
views
Ethical dilemma: I work at a consultancy. How to handle a client's request to moonlight directly for them, for equity? Weirder context inside
I'm suddenly facing a bit of an ethical dilemma. To give background:
The company I currently work for, let's call it AppCorp, currently has a client, let's call him Bill, who has built and launched a ...
- 291
8
votes
5
answers
2k
views
What is a fair ask for the first employee who built the majority of the product if you want to rehire him? [closed]
I need some advice because I'm not sure if I'm being unreasonable here.
TLDR: Joined friends startup (about 5-6 months in) on 6 month contract for salary and no equity. Built entire project from ...
- 453
4
votes
4
answers
5k
views
What is the value in joining a start-up without any equity included in the contract? [closed]
I keep reading about joining a small start-up, keeping it up until it grows and then reaping the rewards.
However, the way I see it is that investors and shareholders will be reaping the rewards, ...
user38290
-1
votes
1
answer
183
views
Trading fixed pay for shares on a project which is about halfway complete [closed]
A few years ago I worked for a software company which paid me an average salary. While there I had an idea for an internal project which greatly reduced costs, and emphasized my employers such project ...
- 101
4
votes
5
answers
552
views
Being asked to abandon personal projects for a position in a startup
I've been in talks with a startup founder who has decided to hire me. I've been studying web development for the last couple years and put up an ad for a part-time job, not expecting much. I cited a ...
1
vote
2
answers
270
views
Startup stock options [closed]
I am having some issues with the cliff period of my stock. My initial agreement was that I would get shares after 1 year (with 1 year already vested) Now the company wants to put a clause in the new ...
anon
1
vote
2
answers
409
views
Is it normal to always expect equity when working at a startup? [closed]
I've seen an organization that claimed to be a 'startup' and they expected their employees to work 60+ hour weeks. The salaries are pretty weak and no one has been offered equity yet. There have only ...
- 1,333